In the age of artificial intelligence, what unique skills do humans still possess?

New research indicates that most employees believe artificial intelligence will make uniquely human skills even more critical.‍‍‍‍

Image source:Getty Images/iStockphoto

Jim Stratton

Workday Chief Technology Officer

Artificial intelligence won’t replace human skills—it will complement them, especially in areas like creativity, leadership, and the ability to learn.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership, enabling leaders to focus on strategic thinking while enhancing their teams' ability to collaborate effectively with AI.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance organizational transparency and strengthen accountability, helping to address the global "trust deficit."

The world has already entered an AI-driven, intelligent era. Some people are concerned about AI technology and its impact. But what if AI doesn’t replace humans—it instead sparks a skills revolution, redefining our relationship with work altogether?

Workday's new study, "Unlocking Human Potential," reveals that the majority of employees (83%) believe AI will make uniquely human skills even more critical. As AI applications continue to expand, nearly everyone (76%) expresses a strong desire for deeper interpersonal connections. This suggests that individual value will become more important than ever before.

However, we cannot achieve this goal through individual efforts alone. Building the future requires collective action, and forward-thinking individuals should actively embrace AI to benefit society—thereby redefining growth, empowering individuals, and reshaping industries.

Imagine a world where AI not only automates tasks but also frees up our time, allowing us to focus on cultivating the unique human qualities that are essential for advancing society—such as creativity, leadership, learning, and the ability to build trust. This scenario points to an imminent skills revolution. Together, we can work toward making this vision a reality.

AI Enhances Human Creativity

In AI-driven workplaces, creativity is emerging as one of the most highly valued human skills. Research shows that 83% of people believe AI will enhance human creativity and unlock entirely new forms of economic value.

Rather than fearing AI as a threat to creativity, we should embrace it—as a powerful partner instead. By automating routine tasks, AI frees us to fully unleash our imagination and originality.

AI not only frees up time but also generates fresh ideas, analyzes data to uncover hidden insights, and offers unexpected perspectives—actively sparking creativity in the process.

This dynamic interaction between humans and machines can usher in a new era of innovation, accelerating breakthroughs and driving transformative change across industries.

AI-powered, human-centered leadership

AI is fundamentally transforming how leaders work and interact with their teams. Research shows that adopting AI will enable leaders to shift their focus toward strategic decision-making, while also enhancing or retraining employees to collaborate effectively with AI technologies.

By automating routine processes—such as performance evaluations, developing career plans, and even crafting job descriptions—AI empowers leaders with their most valuable resource: time.

With time, leaders can focus on strategic thinking and long-term planning. By leveraging AI agents, leaders can analyze trends, anticipate future challenges, and streamline routine business processes—freeing up valuable time to tackle more meaningful tasks.

They no longer get bogged down in the daily grind of, but instead can focus on the bigger picture and inspire their team to achieve ambitious goals.

Driven by AI, leadership is shifting toward a people-centric model. This transformation provides the essential tools to foster a culture where employees feel valued, motivated, and better equipped to tackle today’s complex challenges at work.

AI fosters a mindset of continuous learning

81% of employees believe AI is fundamentally reshaping the skills needed for workplace success, making it essential to cultivate a mindset of continuous learning. However, the focus of learning shouldn’t just be mastering new software or processes—it’s about understanding how to effectively harness the power of AI itself.

This means enhancing your skills, understanding how AI works, learning to interact with AI, and leveraging it to solve problems and drive innovation. AI-powered platforms make this learning process more convenient than ever before.

In this era of rapid technological advancement, those who embrace AI as both a tool and a subject of learning are most likely to thrive. If we’re all mastering the language of the future, then fluency in AI becomes the key to unlocking new opportunities, bridging the talent gap, and ensuring we stay ahead of the curve.

Building a trustworthy and responsible society

Trust is the cornerstone of any healthy society. Currently, many institutions are grappling with a crisis of trust. But what if technology could help rebuild that trust? After all, it’s not entirely unrealistic.

At Workday, we believe AI has the potential to usher in a new era of transparency and accountability. In this era, organizations—from governments to businesses—will see their internal operations become more transparent and accessible to everyone.

This is not a pipe dream. Research shows that a staggering 90% of people believe AI can significantly enhance transparency and strengthen accountability. This reflects a deep-seated desire for institutions that operate fairly and ethically—organizations capable of making clear, unbiased decisions.

Embrace the AI-powered skills revolution

The AI-driven skills revolution has already arrived. To truly unlock its potential, we must work together and actively shape its direction. This means fostering human-machine collaboration, embracing people-centric leadership models, investing in lifelong learning, and strengthening trust in AI by enhancing transparency.

So, what actions can we take to drive this transformation?

Encourage human-machine collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths and sparking creativity.
Develop unique skills such as empathy, creativity, and ethical decision-making to empower people-centered leadership.
Invest in upskilling and reskilling the workforce to keep pace with AI's evolving demands.
Improve the accountability system and ensure transparency and interpretability in all AI processes, thereby strengthening trust in AI.

We can view AI as a partner in growth, working together to build a world where human creativity and machine intelligence thrive side by side. Let’s boldly step into the future and create a brighter, more promising workplace for everyone.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this in your WeChat Moments; please leave a comment at the end of the post or on our official account if you’d like to republish.

Translated by: Di Chenjing | Edited by: Wang Can

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